When choosing schools last year, one of the coolest things that stuck out to me about Pitt was the Plus 3 program. Here we are a year later, ready to go out of the country for the first time on the same program that attracted me to Pitt. I am so excited that it is here and that I get to…
Tag: Plus3 Costa Rica
Check out all the Plus3 Costa Rica blogs below!
Rose is Going to Costa Rica!
My name is Rose Genco, and I just finished my freshman year at the University of Pittsburgh. I am studying Civil Engineering and planning to gain a Sustainability Certificate at Pitt’s Swanson School. I cannot wait to experience Costa Rica! As I am studying sustainability, Costa Rica’s initiatives centered around the environment are very exciting…
Vamonos a Costa Rica!
Hi everyone! My name is Mia, and I am a freshman electrical engineering student. I am so excited to go to Costa Rica because I love traveling to new countries. This will be my first time outside of the United States without my family, and I can’t wait to experience a new place with other…
Going Bananas for Costa Rica!!
I’m Lexi Shafer, and I am an electrical engineering student from New Jersey. I am also pursuing a business minor, so this program was perfect. I am so excited to be going to Costa Rica and I can’t believe that we leave so soon! Since arriving at Pitt, I knew that I wanted to participate…
Costa Rica: Leading the Way with Pura Vida-nability!
Costa Rica has consistently ranked in the top 20 of the World Energy Council’s global “environmental sustainability” ranking. They are also the ranked fifth in sustainability in Latin American and Caribbean Countries and 52nd overall in the World. These sustainability efforts make Costa Rica seem much more impressive and progressive to me, as many of…
Costa Rica and Sustainability
Costa Rica is one of the most sustainable countries in the world thanks to several different environmental sustainability practices that have been put in place to protect its natural environment. With nearly 93% of electricity being produced from renewable resources such as hydro, wind, and solar power, and nearly 30% of the country’s territory being…
¡voy a costa rica pronto!
Costa Rica and their sustainability practices impress me. Considering we learned about the severe issue of deforestation in the 1990s, Costa Rica’s dedication to reverse its deforestation is terrific and awe-inspiring. The country focuses heavily on protecting its land and environment. Costa Rica is aiming to become a carbon-neutral country. During the COVID-19 lockdown, there…
Excited to live the Pura Vida!
Over the past few years, Costa Rica has consistently ranked in the top 20 of the World Energy Council’s Environmental Sustainability ranking. In 2021, it ranked as #4 in energy security, energy equity, and environmental sustainability in Latin America. This commitment to sustainability is reflected in Costa Rica’s environment and energy sources; 93% of Costa…
Sibos’ Sweetness
Today we went on our sweetest adventure yet at Sibo Chocolate. We started out by tasting they’re hot chocolate and then hearing there history and about the process of making chocolate while tasting their various kinds of chocolate. The biggest similarity between chocolate and coffee production was being able to alter their final taste. With…
Time to say Goodbye :(
Our time in Costa Rica has come to an end and although I am so sad to leave, I am beyond grateful for the experiences, knowledge, and friends I have made on this trip. Through out this trip, we learned about all different steps and aspects of the supply chain through all of Costa Rica’s…
Plus3 Miami
My only prior experience with farming is from minecraft: you put seeds in the ground, wait a little while, and then a plant pops out. You really don’t need to do much. So needless to say, I was unprepared for the complexity of real-life farming. Lots of planning needs to happen far in advance, even…
so much love for this place. goodbye costa rica!
During my time in Costa Rica, I learned a lot about the supply chain of many different goods, such as coffee, bananas, and pineapple. My focus was on the sourcing aspect of supply chain. I learned that in terms of farming companies must adequately source their products from the right places to grow and produce…
Everything Good Comes to an End
Throughout this trip, we learned a lot about how the supply chain was affected by planning. Regarding the farming aspect, we learned how important it is to know how many crops you will plan beforehand. If you don’t know exactly how many crops you need, you could create a surplus or even a shortage before…
Leaving Costa Rica with More Knowledge, New Friends, and an Insane Amount of Coffee & Chocolate
These past two weeks have been incredible, and I am so sad that our time here has come to an end. I will forever cherish the memories, friendships, and knowledge that this trip has provided me with. This trip has impacted me in so many ways, and the knowledge and perspectives that I have gained…
El Fin
All supply chains must start somewhere, and in the case of crops like coffee, that is on the farm. Coffee beans are extracted from berries, which grow on trees or shrubs. The berries ripen between October and January and must be hand-picked because they don’t all ripen simultaneously; pickers must only pick the ripened ones…
Day 13 – All Good Things Have an End, Adiós Costa Rica!
It’s wild that we’ll be leaving Costa Rica tomorrow to go back home. It feels like yesterday we just landed with the flight attendants saying “Welcome to Costa Rica.” It has truly been a wonderful, fulfilling experience. Even though it’s coming to an end, I’ll never forget the memories, the wonderful hospitality from my host…
I’m Not Crying You Are
The memories and friendships I’ve made here are ones I’ll never forget and I can’t believe we leave tomorrow. This trip was one of the best experiences I’ve had from going on site visits for banana/pineapple/coffee plantations to playing soccer together and finally to working on our final project together. I have learned so much…
Wrapping up a Journey – Costa Rica
After almost two weeks, we find ourselves nearing the oft-ignored back cover – we’re soon to return from the moth-ball scented wardrobe, climb up from the rabbit hole, step back through the partition between platforms 9 and 10. Soon, we will stand disoriented amidst the hustle and bustle of King’s Cross, not quite prepared for…
Adiós Costa Rica
After two short weeks our time in Costa Rica is rapidly coming to a close. During this experience I have learned a lot about the business of farming and sustainability and made lots of new friends. Reflecting on this moment I see how many things we have accomplished in our short time here and made…
Hasta Luego Costa Rica
I can’t believe that our two weeks in Costa Rica are almost up! I thought it would’ve felt like so much longer than it did. Today we did one of the most fun things this entire trip, a hike along the La Paz waterfalls. After that, we returned to Ulatina and finished working on our…